[3] In 2000, the DSS became part of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (Demokratska opozicija Srbije, DOS), a broad and ideologically diverse coalition of parties opposed to the authoritarian rule of Slobodan Milošević.
DOS candidate Vojislav Koštunica defeated Milošević in the 2000 Yugoslavian presidential election, a watershed moment in Serbian politics.
The DOS also won several landslide victories in the concurrent 2000 Serbian local elections, including in Novi Sad.
The DSS was initially part of the city's government after the election, but it broke with the DOS and moved into opposition in mid-2001.
The DSS became the dominant party in Serbia's coalition government after the election, and Mikavica served as a supporter of the administration.
[8] He also chaired the management board of Srbijagas and was an advisor to the general director of SPC Vojvodina during this time.
He was later found guilty of causing the accident by running a red light, a verdict that was upheld on appeal.